Break me, then Walk Away
by Irken Gir
Summary: Rewritten. A famous Ctarl assassin is hired to kill Jim Hawking. A quick deal is made, and his life is spared. This dysfunctional Ctarl is, in turn, targeted as her friendship with her former target grows.
1. Prologue Part A

**Disclaimer:sporfle:** After having written the original version of this, I don't think anyone would WANT me to own Outlaw Star.

**Author's Note:** So Amanda's now fifteen and has more experience in writing than she did when she popped out the original version of this… garbage. So I've put some effort into re-writing and finishing it, because I know how many people liked it. And, you know, I don't want to be pummeled by that guy who said he hates me like he hates terrorists and druggies. Thanks, buddy.

Anyway, I've tried to improve on everything I could, but still some aspects couldn't be changed without changing too much of the 'fic itself to be kosher. So… yeah. Sorry about that. PS: All attempts at fan!Japanese have been removed. Those were embarrassing. PPS: New, spiffy HTML formatting. Yay!

Break me, then Walk Away: Prologue - part A

"Hitomi! You have to pay attention to what I'm doing!" Aisha yelled at the younger Ctarl. Hitomi growled softly within her throat, then executed a roundhouse kick. Aisha ducked under it, then countered with a strong right uppercut to the chin. The younger girl staggered back a few steps but quickly regained her composition.

Hitomi growled once more, louder this time, bearing her teeth. A strand of her gray hair, with a bit of the natural purple streaks, fell into her bright green eyes. Hitomi readied her fists, now aware fully of what she needed to do. Her claws were bared slightly, making them a quarter inch out of the finger.

Aisha posed as well, perfectly knowledgeable of Hitomi's capability to beat her in a fight with ease. Hitomi was a rare colored Ctarl, with a deep gray coat with purple-black stripes. And everyone knew rare colored Ctarls were more powerful than normally colored Ctarl, if not weaker in other aspects. If only she would _concentrate_.

Aisha leapt at Hitomi, landing directly in front of her. She swung a fist directly at Hitomi's head, which the latter immediately dodged, then retaliated with a low kick that threw Aisha's feet out from under her. Aisha landed on her back and rolled to avoid Hitomi's feet; the younger girl leapt up and landed where her torso had just been, denting the Dojo floor.

Aisha connected a right hook to Hitomi's jaw and sent her flying a few feet across the room. She _still_ wasn't anticipating her moves. The bigger Ctarl performed an elbow drop on the smaller one, landing in in the center of her spine, earning a sharp cry of pain from her lips. Hitomi tried desperately to push off the ground, but the shear weight and power was too much for her, along with the pressure on her back in the spot she'd been injured earlier that week.

"You give, Hitomi?" Aisha spat, receiving a low, loud growl from her sparring partner. Hitomi tried to flip around and catch Aisha with her fist, but failed miserably as the elder girl dug into her flesh deeper. The little Ctarl whimpered and collapsed, but said nothing to prove she was beaten.

Aisha snorted, grabbed Hitomi by the back of the neck and threw her against the wall. "You're pathetic, Hitomi. You should have won that fight, and you know it. You'll never be good enough for the Empire." With that, she spun around and stalked out of the Dojo, leaving her companion to herself, tears swelling in her eyes. Hitomi wasn't one to give up easily, but that remark was enough to flush her dreams of being an instructor down the toilet. With a sniffle, she wiped the tears away and scuffled off to continue her solitary training.


	2. Prologue Part B

**Disclaimer:** Hitomi's mine. Mikoto isn't. I'm just stealing her for this chapter and then she's falling off the face of the Earth to her doom. Ha ha ha.

**Author's Note: **Yes, I've decided to kick Mikoto out of the 'fic. She didn't really _do _much, y'know? So it's not that bad a loss. If I need her, maybe she'll pop up again somewhere. Merf. I'm not too pleased with how this turned out. On another note, since I did it before, notes to the reviewers:

The Big J: I'm sure a lot of people share your dislike of my terrible writing from three years ago. I don't blame you. Anyway, thanks for giving it another try, and I hope I'll be able to keep my writing at a level to appease anyone else who might have thought this disgustingly bad the first time around.

Break me, then Walk Away - Prologue: Part B

Face buried in her hands, Hitomi scoffed and mentally scolded herself over and over again. If it weren't for those dammed kids, she wouldn't have left the Caster shell there... The sharp sound of metal on metal rang through her sensitive ears, and her head snapped up reflexively. The bars of her holding cell had been smacked with the guard's nightstick. She stood and stretched her tall, slender fifteen-year-old body.

"Come on." The guard slid open the door, and grabbed her roughly by the upper arm, yanking her from the _comfort_ of her cell into the cold, uninviting hallway of the Otah Hone-Hone. She glanced to her left, where another Ctarl, slightly older than herself, was forced to walk towards herself and the guard, who readied the handcuffs.

The other girl was much more reluctant to go, however. Curses and threats poured from her mouth-not just towards the guards, but at some of the male prisoners as well. One thing that stood out about her was certainly her long, electric blue hair. Well, to Hitomi, anyway. Their tails flicked as the guards pulled their wrists out and slapped the 'cuffs on, just short of painfully. Hitomi cocked her head at her new companion as she growled, deep in her throat, at the guard tugging them along.

She studied this other Ctarl, lingering on the hair. She knew she mustn't dwell on the other, as she'd probably get a good smack, but she couldn't help it. The other Ctarl looked at her, scoffing and snorting. "What?" she spat, glaring at Hitomi's wide, curious eyes.

Her first and strongest thought was to say something witty and intellegent. "Your hair's pretty." _Damn_. Hitomi received a mixed look of anger and amusement. She cringed and awaited her smack, which never came. "What? Why aren't you hitting me?" The other laughed quietly.

"That was completely random and inappropriate," she said, her voice slightly softer. But only slightly.

"Sorry, I have ADD... And multiple personalities." The other blinked as Hitomi grinned childishly.

"And... You're an assassin?" Hitomi nodded.

"Yup. And a good one, from what I've heard." Hitomi's ears flicked as cat-calls sounded from one of the passing prisoners. Hitomi's new friend flipped him off and mumbled something about 'horny bastard.'

"Idiot. I'm Mikoto Mara-Mara," she said, attempting to shake Hitomi's hand.

"I'm Hitomi," she murmured, taking her hand clumsily. Both girls were jerked out of the hand shake by the guards yanking hard on the chain, then throwing them to their knees in front of the small assembly of high ranked Ctarl officials.

The Ambassador stared coldly and unfeelingly at them, then spoke. "Mikoto Mara-Mara and Hitomi Tora-Tora. You have been brought forth on dozens of counts of assassination. Each." Both assassins smirked at each other briefly. "I am ashamed to exile you _both _from Empire, but even more so with you, Hitomi."

"You know her?" Mikoto asked, eyeing Hitomi suspiciously.

The girl mewed in amusement. "Distant cousins, or something. She's the one who got me into this business."

"Quiet!" Aisha snapped. "The two of you will go to Heiphong under strict supervision to a correctional center. You understand?" Mikoto nodded, but Hitomi put on a faux look of confusion.

"Meh? I don't get it..." Aisha sneered viciously as Hitomi laughed at her, mocking her position and pride.

"Take them." More guards yanked them up and took them to the loading docks, then threw them into the back of a small transport ship. Mikoto looked at Hitomi and raised her eyebrows at the cuffs.

An hour after they took off, Mikoto picked the lock with her claws. The guards' ears twitched and he turned his head to gaze at them. Hitomi felt herself grow distant, and knew her eyes were turning deep black. She punched him into the counsel just as he opened his mouth to speak. She could tell he was out cold from the bit of blood seeping from his scalp and the large dent on the unimportant part of the directional navigation system. Hitomi grabbed him and dragged him into the airlock, opened the door, and threw the pilot in, unsealing the lock. The man was flung into space, but Hitomi didn't see him die, but instead rejoined Mikoto in the cockpit.

"Where're we going again?" Mikoto noticed Hitomi's raspy voice had gotten smooth and quiet.

"Err... Heiphong..." Hitomi smirked and sat in the copilots seat. She had a cocky air about her, as she crossed her legs and arms, and bore a killer's smirk.

"Good. Rich people with rich enemies." Mikoto nodded. Maybe she wasn't bad for someone with ADD, she pondered. Hitomi fell into a trance-like state, and Mikoto fell asleep during the remainder of the way.

They immediately hunted out an abandoned tenants building to make their new homes. Eventually, Mikoto left to find her own home, leaving Hitomi to care for the building and turn it into a livable building once more. Three years after she'd gotten to Heiphong, she got a call from a business man about a popular and successful hacker's son.


	3. My Moose

**Disclaimer:** Eh. Not mine.

**Author's Note:** Eh. I combined chapters one and two on this one so it's not pitifully short. So … yeah. And I'd like to apologize to everyone for my unbearable annoyingness. Some chapter titles will be changed because they're obscure and/or plain stupid. Also, I was mistaken about being able to kick Mikoto out. She's like a cockroach. She just won't leave.  
_Sarge: . Arigato... I like it when people like muh writing... But I'd better see j00 again, now that you've reviewed mister... Heh._

T3h Bryan: Yeah, well, I tried to wake you up, you dick.

Break me, then Walk Away - Chapter one, "My Moose"

Hitomi crouched on the rooftop, watching the doors of that new strip club in town. That kid, Jim, had been last seen there, and she'd gotten word he and his "crew" still dwelled inside. The assassin glanced at the picture her employer had provided her; it wasn't at all recent, but it was all she had to go by.

He was about eleven there, short and scrawny. Smart, though. She hoped he was a fighter. Keen black eyes watched for the tussle of shaggy blonde hair that would be his. Hitomi had brought only her Caster, with just a few number five shells, the same sort that had gotten the eighteen-year-old caught just three years before.

But she never made the same mistake twice.

Her ears twitched, along with her fingers and tail, out of anxiety. A twinge of doubt crossed her mind as another group came out, but none of the people Jim was usually seen with were there.

Another hour Hitomi would give them, then she'd go in and find the little bastard. Almost ten minutes later, a black haired woman fitting the description of 'Melfina' wandered out of the bar, followed by the ex-assassin Suzuka. Then, a drunken looking red-head: Gene. Hitomi's eyes lit up as a mess of blonde came out next.

Hitomi's muscles tensed up from her perch upon the night club roof. Her jeans and baggy tee made movement easy and quiet, and she needed both of those aspects while going after something as protected and supposedly elusive as Jim Hawking. She leaned over the roof and crouched low to get a better look at him, without being seen.

He certainly would be a waste of killing. Just shy of six feet perhaps, with pale skin, and a toned frame, Jim was nothing less than a … what was it girls called boys like this? Ah, yes. He was nothing less than a "hottie," she decided. The thought crossed her mind that perhaps only fifty-thousand wong wasn't enough to waste his mind... _or_ body. Hitomi licked her lips with the anticipation of a hunt.

But just as she was about to leap to the next roof in pursuit, another person joined their little clique: a female Ctarl with long, braided white hair.

Hitomi's eyes widened, then narrowed as she growled softly in her throat. Damn that Aisha, always messing up her opportunities to make a good, honest living. Aisha had her arm around Jim's shoulders, laughing. Hitomi liked the look of blush on his cheeks, and the anger in his eyes.

The group headed back in the direction of their hotel, ignorant of a widely known assassin following. Hitomi went over the strategy in her mind. That idiot Gene posed no threat; he could hardly beat Aisha, if at all. Melfina's only purpose was to pilot the Outlaw Star, not to fight. Twilight Suzuka would be trickier with her sword and experience fighting Ctarl Ctarl and Terran alike, but one good hit to the head or neck would do nicely. Now Aisha was the only problem Hitomi could see. She paused as the group below her did the same, arguing over the "shortcut" Gene wanted to take through a small park.

'They gave in to the drunkard,' she thought, amused. She smirked, deciding to make her presence known. Aisha should be the first to know, and the first to die. If nothing else, Hitomi knew that Terrans treated Ctarl fights like "cat-fights" between women; they avoided them at all costs, but watched, transfixed.

Hitomi moved considerably slower than the crew, guaranteeing her position to block their path out. She picked up a small rock and lazily threw it with a flick of her wrist, smacking Aisha in the back of her head. She yelped and screeched in annoyance, whipping around to find the culprit. Seeing no one, she slowly looked up, only to find Hitomi's form backed by the half-moon.

The ex-ambassador's eyes shot wide as she realized who it was who had trapped them in a dark alley.

"You guys had better get outta here..." Aisha said, already in a pose. The others, including Jim, looked up to see the Ctarl, arms crossed over her stomach lazily.

"What? Run from her? She don't look so tough..." Gene mumbled, his speech slurred.

Hitomi could clearly see worry in Jim's eyes, and the confusion in Suzuka's. Aisha didn't tell them again to move; she knew the group was plastered where they stood. The assassin smirked and leapt down, immediately landing a powerful punch on Aisha's face. Aisha was thrown back, but retaliated with a low kick. Hitomi dodged by jumping back, and the other growled.

"Back when we fought in the Dojo, you never would have dodged even that. You've improved," she observed. Hitomi snorted. She certainly had. Both Ctarl posed, detecting the others' strengths and weaknesses.

For the moment, Hitomi would forget about Jim. Revenge was good.

Aisha's fingers twitched, warning Hitomi. Aisha screamed and ran at Hitomi, pulling back a fist, closing the distance quickly. Hitomi grabbed the extended fist and threw Aisha forward, using her momentum to slam her into the brick wall of the building behind her. The Ctarl flipped back up onto her feet and tried to execute a backwards roundhouse kick, but Hitomi grabbed her calf, her fingers digging into her powerful muscles.

It was then she noticed the blackness of Hitomi's eyes. A small sense of fear crossed Aisha, but Hitomi didn't see any sign of it before she spun, digging her elbow in Aisha's stomach, just as Aisha had done to her seven years ago.

The elder Ctarl coughed and growled. She pounced on Hitomi, knocking her onto her back. Hitomi rocked forward and then back, throwing Aisha from her and into a trashcan. Aisha got up and ran at Hitomi, who was flipping up. She spun mid-flip, kicking Aisha's feet out from under her once again. She grabbed Aisha's upper arm and twisted it, turning the older girl's body with it.

Aisha landed face first on the ground, and shook Hitomi off of her, before getting up and falling into a stance once more. "Well, Hitomi, I see you really _have_ gotten stronger. It seems half my strength won't be sufficient, huh?" Hitomi broke her own stance and stood at full height.

"Big word, Aisha. 'Sufficient'? You been studying the dictionary? Or did your mommy decide to beat words into that thick skull of yours?" Aisha glared, then growled and roared.

"At least I _have_ a mommy!" she screamed. Her hair ruffled, claws and fangs grew, and muscles bulged. She rushed at Hitomi, just to be sidestepped and tripped. Hitomi grabbed Aisha's leg and pulled her close, twisting both arms behind her back and forcing her on the ground. Aisha's eyes snapped open as sharp, hideous pain coursed throughout her shoulders and back, drawing a scream of pain from her lips.

"No! Aisha!" Hitomi stood and smirked at Melfina, who had made the comment. Gene held her back from rushing to the unconscious Ctarl's side.

"What do you want?" Gene asked, aiming his caster at Hitomi.

"Certainly not Aisha." Hitomi scoffed. "Or you," she turned to Gene.

"I know you now. You're the famous assassin, Hitomi Tora-Tora!" Jim said, a hint of admiration on his face. His voice was nice, deep and clear, with just a small amount of scratch undertone. "But why're you here?" he mumbled, still a little wary of the powerful Ctarl. Hitomi laughed quietly.

"You, Jim."

Gene growled, then fired his caster. "Bastard!"

Hitomi jumped to the left just as the shell threatened to impact with her throat, and ran at Gene, upper-cutting his chin and bloodying his lip. He staggered back a few steps. Just as Hitomi was about to unleash her wrath upon him, Suzuka flung herself in front of him, sword still contained in her sash.

"Wait!" Hitomi stopped dead in her tracks, bringing her face to be within a foot of Suzuka's. Neither made a move to attack. "How much are you being paid for this job?" Her voice was smooth and clear, devoid of all emotion.

"Fifty thousand," came the simple reply.

"I'll double that price to save his life." Suzuka offered, removing a rather large wad of money from her sleeve pocket. Hitomi looked around Suzuka to see Jim staring in curiosity, as he helped Gene to keep his lip from bleeding too much.

"All right." Both assassins smiled in a way only an assassin could, and chuckled in a way that sent shivers up Jim's spine. "But..." Hitomi continued, silencing Suzuka. "If my employer offers me more money, I'll have to take up his offer."

"Of course." Suzuka nodded and handed Hitomi the money. Hitomi pocketed it and made her way slowly to Jim. She looked him up and down, circled him, then locked his eyes onto her own. He didn't blink; instead he stared back defiantly. The corner of her mouth was pulled into a small smile at his courage. She suddenly flung her arms around him, surprising him enough to make him jump.

Hitomi felt the same wave of hyper giddiness she always did when she made the transition to this personality - her hyperly random and randomly hyper self. She was just ruffling his hair as he gazed at her oddly. "You really _do_ have schizophrenia, don't you?" Suzuka asked.

"What? Nuh uh. I've got multiple personalities," Hitomi purred, hugging Jim as if she'd just reunited with the boy after years of separation.

Gene frowned, his finger caressing the trigger of his Caster almost affectionately. "I still don't trust you. You've got your money, now let go of Jim-"

"But I want to hug Moose."

"What moose?" Melfina inquired. She had seen pictures of the hoofed creatures, but had never gotten an opportunity to see one up close.

"It's not 'moose,' it's 'Moose.' Moose the Jim." She nodded, positive everyone had heard the capitalization of the second "Moose."

"Okay, whatever." Gene scoffed. He eyed Hitomi warily for what seemed like hours, waiting for her arms around Jim's neck to tighten, either suffocating him of snapping his spinal column. Finally, after an eternity, he took his finger from his Caster and slipped it back into its holder. With that, he turned and skulked off miserably.

Melfina took a last glance at Hitomi before following after Gene loyally, and Suzuka joined her shortly after. Aisha passed by, glaring at her cousin as she went, leaving Hitomi to pull away from Jim and follow him as he began his own voyage back to the hotel. "So … umm… I don't have a place to stay. You think maybe I can crash in your room for tonight?"

The blonde raised an eyebrow, unsure as to her level of seriousness. As their eyes met, he saw that she was, in fact, homeless for the night. "Fine by me, but you're going to have to pay for anything you destroy or eat." Jim said, falling back to walk with her. Hitomi stuffed her hands into her pockets.

"Oh… thanks," she murmured, massaging the back of her neck. Jim watched for a moment, a little disbelieving that she would just give up on a job like that. But, as she continued to mumble lyrics to an old Barenaked Ladies song under her breath, he had to wonder that she really _had_. Maybe having another assassin around would come in handy, even if she was an extremely odd Ctarl, he mused.

Twenty minutes later, they were all snuggled into comfortable clothing and in bed, ready to go to sleep. Though Hitomi shared a room with Jim and Aisha, she wasn't comfortable getting into bed with either; especially not Aisha. Instead, she stretched out and plopped down in a large chair, and fell asleep almost immediately.

The next morning, Hitomi was absent from the room. Aisha's body was tangled in the bed sheets, and her snores were muffled by the pillow pressed firmly against her face. Jim stood and went to the computer to look at the breakfast menu, brushing this off easily; Hitomi had probably just gone home, her job completed. After all, she had just wanted to spend one night.

He had just reached the waffles and fruits and pancakes when the door swung open and broke. Hitomi stood in the doorway, panting and disheveled, looking as she had the night before when she fought Aisha.

"Jim. Get out." Jim blinked and stood to tell her off, but she grabbed him by the back of the neck and dragged him out.

"What the hell are you doing, Hitomi?" Jim yelled, trying to hide the fact he was wearing only boxers. The Ctarl didn't seem to care, and her eyes darted around the hallway, her ears twitching at the slightest sound.

"Shut up, Moose." She spat out his nickname in an acidic tone, rendering the boy quiet immediately. A loud crash, bang and a scream were all heard from the opposite end of the hallway, followed by yelling and footsteps. "Get out; my employer hired someone _else_ to kill you." The computer hacker nodded and took off running until he reached the end of the hall, and then scampered to the elevator.

The sounds of footsteps slowed and the sounds of a Ctarl roaring got louder. Jim's curiosity took hold and made him glance at the mirrored wall to see Hitomi engaged with a huge man, the latter of which equipped with a huge double-edged sword. She was able to out maneuver him, but he was clearly able to get in two good hits before the elevator got to its proper floor to pick up the terrified hacker.

It got down to the lobby with no problems, but when he ran out, many people were blocking his passage way out; whether they were the people whose rooms were in the cross fire, cops or security guards, he saw no path that would take him directly out of the building.

Jim managed to push his way through, but was stopped right outside by three police men. "What're you doing, son? You've got no pants or shoes," the first one said, cocking an eyebrow.

"I know, I'm sorry, but someone's up there trying to kill me, and a Ctarl's trying to keep me alive so she might kill me later..." One cop cut him off.

"Uh huh... I've got five other people who're claiming that Hitomi Tora-Tora is the one up there, and she's after _them_." A second was snickering to himself as he pat Jim on the shoulder.

"Well, yes, she is." Just as Jim finished his quiet mumbling, a third-floor window shattered as the second assassin's body made impact with it, sending shards of glass and metal fragments pouring down on their heads. A particularly large piece of glass got caught in Jim's arm as he tried to shield himself from the downpour, and some bits of metal buried themselves in his back. He knew they weren't deep, but the glass in his arm was.

The body of the man was in much worse shape than he, however. His entire chest was covered in scratch marks, many deep enough to expose bone, his head was crushed in, his back clearly broken from the way he was slumped, and both legs hung from sinew and tendons. "Shit!" one cop yelled; the other two looked nauseous, but held it in and they went over to the mangled neck to feel for a pulse. Blood pooled freely around the corpse and one almost slipped in it. Jim looked at his arm; the glass was deep in there, and blood poured from the wound at a great enough rate that he couldn't see it to pull it out.

Hitomi was behind this, he knew. He took a few tender steps forward to get a good glance at the Werecat in the hole of the hotel wall. She was sitting, looking down upon the scene as if it were nothing. Even at this distance, Jim could see the thoughtful look on her face and the narrowed eyes. She had managed to throw this behemoth from the third story of the hotel and remained completely calm; what amazed him, however, was her coloration. Her pelt was a deep, deep gray with dark purple stripes that shimmered as she moved, muscles seeming to flow under the coat of fur as she shifted and stood back up.

The police were looking up too, seeing just what he saw. They gasped and pulled their guns. Jim saw the tension in her leg and chest muscles, warning him of what she was to do next. The Ctarl leapt from her place in the new window and landed square on one police man's chest, breaking a few ribs. She spun around viciously, tail swinging with the force of a whip, cracking in the air as she hissed at another police officer.

The remaining two backed off, not even keeping their guns pointed. The Ctarl leapt onto the closest, grabbing his neck in her jaws and thrashed her head violently, snapping the spinal column like a hunting dog might do to a groundhog. The last woman ran off, screaming bloody murder. Hitomi roared, not bothering to give chase after her, but instead turned to Jim. Her ears were back, laying flat on her head as she motioned to follow her. He ran after her, slipping through the swarming mass of people, and noticed Gene, Melfina, Suzuka, and Aisha pulling on clothes and struggling to follow him.

They got to an abandoned building after some time, but not the one he'd heard Hitomi was staying in. She slipped in through some wood planks blocking up a window, leaving Jim to tear them down and follow after. The poor boy got splinters in the hand not connected to his wounded arm, but hobbled after the Ctarl.

Aisha frowned and stared after Hitomi's tail. "She must have a thing for old buildings. She must have some supplies here," she murmured, half to herself. Suzuka said nothing, but had been thinking just that. She, herself, never made a temporary home for herself. She just rented a hotel room and that was that.

When the Crew finally caught up with Hitomi, she was mumbling to herself, bleeding in a few places, and pulling on another shirt. The crew gathered she had trotted ahead to get to her clothing and preserve her modesty. Jim was the first to approach the mumbling Ctarl Ctarl. "What the hell was that?" he spat, panting and sweating.

"I saved your ass, that's what," Hitomi replied calmly. Jim glared, eyes narrowed to slits, but quickly relaxed his face when Hitomi matched his look with much more passion and fire behind her glassy black eyes. "You'd better take a bath so I can fix your arm." With that, Hitomi scuffled off, nudging Aisha as she passed with a small, affectionate smile.

Jim stared after her for a little bit, but sighed and undressed as the rest of his companions wandered off. Suzuka, however, declared she was going out, and left every one else to their own resources. He found a towel hanging on a door and checked for its level of cleanliness. Satisfied, he wrapped it around his waist and padded off to find the bathroom. Upon reaching his destination, he tapped on walls and the mirror, curious as to how the bathroom was in good shape, and apparently in working order. But, as hot water poured from the faucet and filled the tub, he brushed this off and slipped in.

As the water caressed his wounds and aching muscles, he bit his lip in discomfort, but began to gingerly wash his limbs with the soap which had been resting on a small dish on the sink. He gingerly scrubbed himself down, getting the water bloody and somewhat metal- and splinter-filled. Just as he was about to get out, Hitomi barged in, tweezers and gauze in hand.

"Why, may I ask, do you just so happen to have those handy?" Hitomi shrugged.

"First-Aid kit, I guess." She placed the gauze down and reached into the tub, grabbing a horrified Jim's arm. She pulled it out and held it eye level, inspecting it, ignoring his feeble attempts to squirm away from her gaze. The Ctarl began to poke and pull at his arm, finding splinters and glass with her tweezers and removing them, rather painfully.

He bled some more, but she just stuck his arm back into the water and lazily rubbed some soap over it before wrapping it with gauze.

Each time a shard came out, she'd wet her thumb and rub it on the hole to lessen the bleeding then move on, making it a relatively pleasant experience. only a few minutes, then she left, leaving Jim alone. The boy just sunk back into the bath and ignored the new sounds of Aisha and Hitomi laughing and talking with each other from what might have once been a living room.


	4. Know my Pain

**Disclaimer:** My feet are fucking freezing. Pennsylvaniaplus winter equalsAmanda wanting to kill something.

**Author's Note:** So. I'm trying to remove any and all unnecessary lyrics from any and all chapters, as I seemed to have a fetish with cluttering up my writing with them. If I so feel inclined, I'll stick a verse or so of meaningful lyrics at the very beginning of the chapter, and that will be all.

**A note on Hitomi's eyes: **No, they do not actually change their colour completely to black. It's not unheard of to have eyes that change shades during strong emotions, and that's what her eyes do. When I say "black," I really mean "the colour of a shaded evergreen." But "black" is much easier, you see. That's just me being lazy. Sorry.

T3h Bryan: Fuck you, baby! And see? I made a note. Eh.  
valkan: Yeah, it was pretty bad. I'm glad you decided to give it another try. Thanks.  
Abadon 666: Yes, Ctarl Ctarl do have "human" hands, but being felines as they are, it makes logical sense that they would have claw-like nails, no?  
Cait: Umm… no. Keep it up, work on it, do whatever. It's been a long time since I've had any kind of contact with Mikoto, and if I'm to write her properly, then I need some kind of reference. Eh.

Break me, then Walk Away - Chapter Three, "Know my Pain"

Jim rolled over, the blanket of sleep still wrapped around his form. He yawned and looked out the window; still relatively dark. The soft sounds of humming floated in through the window, which he had left cracked during the night. He snuggled back into the covers and covered his eyes by burying his face in the crook of his elbow.

After a few minutes, with a yawn, Jim got up and pulled on some clothes, then pulled himself out of the window and onto the fire escape. As he made his way slowly up the stairs, he found Hitomi sitting on the edge of the roof, staring up at the moon. "Hey," he greeted. She nodded gently, and he sat. "How long have you been up here?"

"I dunno. Maybe an hour. I like it up here; I can think, and it smells … clean. Y'know?"

"Really?" Hitomi nodded her answer. "Hmm..." He looked out at the skyline, and noted there was still a good time before daybreak. The Ctarl yawned quietly and snuggled up to Jim, wrapping an arm around his waist. The blonde looked down at her amusedly, cocking an eyebrow at her. When she didn't move, he rested his hand lightly on her side. "If we're gonna be working together, I suppose we should get to know each other, no?"

"Yeah, I suppose... Have you any siblings?" Hitomi asked.

"Not that I know of. My parents died, and I've been living with Gene," Jim explained.

"Oh... Sorry. I wish I never knew my parents," the Ctarl stretched out and got ready to answer his questions. She never minded having to answer the questions people asked when she mentioned her parents, but it got a bit boring after a while.

"Why?" Jim caught her sigh and saw the somberness on her face.

"My mother's an alcoholic prostitute who would leaving me at home at night all by myself. My dad used to have an anger management problem, and screamed and beat me when he got drunk, even back when I was five. Mum used to admit I was an accident and she regretted not getting an abortion, and my father had my baby half-sister with his girlfriend, but I'm not allowed to see her any more..."

"Oh," came Jim's only response. After a while, he prompted further: "You don't seem like it's affected you that much, though."

"You're silly. I'm an assassin. I hear voices in my head. I hate myself. But, in an attempt to seem better than those stupid attention-seeking girls you hear so much about nowadays, I don't let it get to me."

"That's the only reason?"

"Eh. Pretty much, yeah." They sat in silence for a few minutes, the quiet sounds of crickets, birds and early city traffic calming them, wrapping them in sleepy feelings.

"What's it been like... Living with Gene, I mean?"

"Hm? Oh, all right I suppose. He really taught me a lot. He's like my big brother." Hitomi chuckled.

"Heh. My friend Sam was like a big brother to me. I think he's the only one that encouraged me to be an assassin, and he's the one who taught me to fight properly and shoot a gun." Jim smirked.

"He a Ctarl?" Hitomi shook her head.

"Nope. Terran."

"You fancy him?" Another half sigh slipped from the Ctarl's lips.

"Yes... I did, until the cops found out he was harboring me and shot him. That's why I hate all cops now. I wasn't even in the house... Just pointed and shot. A neighbor told me what happened," she elaborated, seeing a slightly confused look in Jim's eyes.

"Hmm... We have a lot in common, huh?" Jim mumbled quietly. He looked at Hitomi out of the corner of his eye. She was staring up at the stars, the look of a lost lover on her face. Her eyes sparkled in the starlight, highlighting the green nicely. Just looking at them calmed him.

But, on the other hand, he also knew the power and viciousness they hid and contained.

Hitomi knew Jim was blushing and staring into her eyes, but she didn't mind, or care for that matter. She missed Sam.

But now, she supposed, wasn't the time to think of such things. Now was for relaxing. She looked over to Jim and grinned. She ran a playful hand through the silky strands of his hair, getting them slightly tangled in the unbrushed morning knots. By doing so, the faint smell of shampoo floated to Hitomi's nose. It smelled nice, mingled with his natural scent.

He grinned back and playfully shoved her. She shoved back. He shoved again and pounced on her. Hitomi blinked as she was pinned, then smirked and kicked him off. She flipped up and stood over him. He stood and ran the opposite way, laughing.

The next thing Jim knew, he was on the ground, Hitomi sitting on his stomach with a large grin tugging at her lips. "I win."

-

"Where the hell is Hitomi?" Gene asked Jim.

"I dunno. We hung out a little this morning-" Gene shot him a smirk. "Ha ha, very funny, Gene. Anyway, she left pretty early."

"Well, I'm sure she'll be back soon," Melfina offered, serving them lunch.

"Hn." Gene poked at the sandwiches she placed in front of him. "What is it?"

"Whatever looked edible, really. Hitomi hasn't been here too long, so she hasn't stocked up too heavily on food." Melfina placed Jim's food in front of him and took a seat in between the two of them. Why Gene and Melfina had broken up, Jim still had no idea. Perhaps it was because of the fact Melfina hated when Gene drank, fought, cussed, argued with Jim and wanted sex all the time.

"S'that all you talk about? Hitomi?" Gene asked through a mouthful of food. Melfina smiled. That was one of his attributes she didn't mind too often.

"No, that's what you brought up, Gene." As if on cue, Hitomi burst through the door, grinning like an idiot.

"Hullo. Look what followed me home." She pointed to a figure behind her. Gene looked her over, starting with her breasts. They were big. He approved.

The rest of the crew observed her in a different light. Her hair was a bright, almost neon blue, and her eyes were narrowed. She was taller than Hitomi as well, and obviously Ctarl-if her ears hadn't tipped them off, the tail swaying slowly behind her was. "It's my old friend, Mikoto. I found her and she followed me home." Mikoto crossed her arms over her stomach, starting at Gene with a raised eyebrow.

"I hope you don't expect my breasts to make the first move," she snapped. Gene shrugged and stared until, Hitomi suspected, he had every curve of her older companion's low-cut shirt memorized. She was a little surprised to find Gene had by-passed Mikoto's hip-hugging jeans, but she didn't let it bother her.

Melfina gathered her manners the fastest: "Hello. I've made sandwiches. Would you like one?" She smiled kindly and started to point out the different kinds of sandwiches when Mikoto waved her hand dismissively.

"No, thanks. I've eaten already." Hitomi nodded, as if confirming this. Mikoto, who wasn't one for group picnics, left the room, headed to the living room area.

"Sorry," Hitomi murmured, sitting at the table. "She'll be staying here too… Since you seem to have decided to stay with me," she added playfully.

"Only for a little while," Gene spat. "Until the cops aren't associating us with you."

"I'd think spending time with me would only make that worse," Hitomi offered, grinning.

"Fine, then. We're going back home late today." Hitomi shrugged and took a sandwich. "If you want, you and your friend can come." The Ctarl Ctarl caught Gene's subtle wink and rolled her eyes.

"I'll keep that in mind." With that, Aisha and Suzuka made their own ways into the kitchen. Aisha yawned and stretched, still disheveled from sleep. Suzuka, however, looked just as perfect and professional as always. Hitomi liked that about her.

"Good morning," Suzuka offered, taking a seat next to Hitomi. "I noticed there was another Ctarl with us today."

Aisha sneered. "I saw her, Hitomi. You'd better not be trying anything-"

"Like I'd need her," she teased. Aisha frowned and took a mound of sandwiches for herself.

"Don't tease me about things like that!"

"Sorry." They sat quietly for a while longer, until Mikoto decided to show some form of socialism and hopped up on the counter, watching her friend and her new "clique" amusedly. "Hey, Moose. I know you wanna take me and Mikoto to the zoo."

Stifling amused laughter, Mikoto turned to the blonde-he was the only one who looked at her purple-haired friend when she began speaking-and watched for his reaction. "Umm…. Sure."


End file.
